“We walked it in the early morning and a heron flew below”: Memories of the LaSalle Causeway captured in new community poem

As National Poetry Month draws to a close, the City is proud to announce the completion and launch of a new community poem entitled The Causeway In The Rear-View Mirror, assembled and shaped by Poet Laureate Sadiqa de Meijer, with contributions from local residents.  

The project began in April 2025 with a call for submissions of lines of recollections, phrases and words to convey what the former LaSalle Causeway bascule bridge meant to the community. Seventy-three individuals submitted their memories and recollections of the bridge, which de Meijer compiled and arranged into the poem.  

“The poem is written in the 'we' voice to remind us that we are part of a collective, and these memories belong to us all,” said de Meijer. “The city, like any community, has an emotional life, and when it goes through changes, art can be the means to feel and acknowledge the transition. The Causeway, at 107 years, was certainly part of the city fabric and many people expressed that they will miss the bridge.” 

The Causeway In The Rear-View Mirror can be found on the City’s website, along with an audio recording featuring various local voices. A free printed version will be available at City Hall and other locations after May 15.  

About the Poet Laureate 

The City’s Poet Laureate is an honourary position celebrating the role of poetry and literature in Kingston. The program acknowledges Kingstonians who have accomplished great things in poetry and creates a voice for literature in our community. The Poet Laureate brings awareness to Kingston's strong writing traditions and encourages creativity in our city. Kingston’s Poet Laureate engages in local City-led and community events to support and draw people into the world of literature, helping raise the profile of literature in Kingston and beyond.  

Sadiqa de Meijer was appointed as the City’s fourth Poet Laureate in 2022.